Soccer

I really like soccer. In the past, I would say that baseball was my favorite sport. That is what I grew up playing, played through high school and recreationally in college, umpired while in high school, I coached softball, etc. However, being a season-ticket holder for the LA Galaxy has really brought this statement into question. If asked the question now, I may say that soccer is now my favorite sport. I almost feel like I am betraying my country by saying it, but I think that is just the case. Here are my reasons for this change of heart:

1. I turned down free Angels tickets today. Granted, I already told my grandma that I would take her to lunch and I really don't want to sit in the summer heat of a day game, but if I was offered free Galaxy tickets I would not likely turn them down. Maybe this is not a reason, but it was at least what made me realize the truth.

2. Rafael Palmeiro. It truly breaks my heart that there are professional baseball players that feel the need to use steroids to do better. And I'm not just picking on one guy. With these new restrictions, there is a noticeable decrease in home run numbers and there are some players that are smaller now.

3. I never forgave them for the strike. Before the strike it was a given that I would go to at least 4-5 baseball games per season. This was true as a child going to Dodgers/Angels games and then as a college student I stopped. A lot of it had to do with the strike in 1994 and the cancellation of the World Series. I still felt a love for the game, but the people playing it and the owners of the teams made me sick.

4. Players used to play to play. Now you have guys like Barry Bonds who expect to make millions of dollars and then demand things like private trainers, an extra locker so he can have a big screen and recliner, etc. Fuck that guy.

5. Baseball cards are too expensive.

6. Soccer fans are more passionate about their teams than in any other sport in the world. Of all the major sports in the US, which team has the most passionate fans? The Raiders? The Red Sox? I guarantee that none of these groups can hold a candle to the loyal followers in the Kop at Anfield on match days to watch Liverpool. They are involved, stand up, yell, and generally pay more attention to the game than to cotton candy, doing the wave, and the diamondvision.

7. Soccer is a beautiful game. I got to watch one of the best teams in the world, Real Madrid, play against the Galaxy. One player in particular, Zinidine Zidane, can do things with the ball at his feet that almost defy physics. I would be that a person would have a better chance to get the ball from my hands than from his feet. Watching Zizu work his magic stunned me far more than watching McGwire break Maris's record, watching Jordan or Magic control a game, or seeing someone like Barry Sanders break people's ankle's with his devastating cuts. Granted, I've been through my share of 0-0 draws, but those can, believe it or not, be somewhat exciting. Sometimes almost scoring is very exciting (in soccer and with a girl).

8. Soccer is the world's sport and brings together people from different cultures and economic backgrounds. What other sport can you play just about anywhere as long as you can find an open field and a ball. Soccer can go beyond poverty, racial boundaries, and language boundaries more than any other sport.

In any case, I'm sure that anybody could counter many of my arguments in favor of baseball, football, basketball, NASCAR (well, that may be pushing it) or any other sport. I welcome those opinions, but I don't think you'll convince me otherwise. However, once I show you the tape of Liverpool overcoming a 3-0 halftime deficit to claim the Champions League title this year, I bet you'll look at soccer differently too.